Somalia

Capital: Mogadishu Population: 10,085,638 Official Languages: Somali Arabic Time Zone: +3 Dialing Code: +252

Government: Federal parliamentary republic Area: 637,657 km2 largest city: Mogadishu Currency : Somali shilling ISO 3166 code: SO

Basic Info

Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Kenya to the southwest. Somalia has the longest coastline on the continent, and its terrain consists mainly of plateaus, plains and highlands. Hot conditions prevail year-round, along with periodic monsoon winds and irregular rainfall

Geography

Somalia is bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Ethiopia to the west. It lies between latitudes 2°S and 12°N, and longitudes 41° and 52°E.

Climate

Due to Somalia's proximity to the equator, there is not much seasonal variation in its climate. Hot conditions prevail year-round along with periodic monsoon winds and irregular rainfall. Mean daily maximum temperatures range from 30 to 40 °C (86 to 104 °F), except at higher elevations along the eastern seaboard, where the effects of a cold offshore current can be felt. In Mogadishu, for instance, average afternoon highs range from 28 °C (82 °F) to 32 °C (90 °F) in April.

Some of the highest mean annual temperatures in the world have been recorded in the country; Berbera on the northwestern coast has an afternoon high that averages more than 38 °C (100 °F) from June through September. Nationally, mean daily minimums usually vary from about 15 to 30 °C (59 to 86 °F). The greatest range in climate occurs in northern Somalia, where temperatures sometimes surpass 45 °C (113 °F) in July on the littoral plains and drop below the freezing point during December in the highlands. In this region, relative humidity ranges from about 40% in the mid-afternoon to 85% at night, changing somewhat according to the season

Religion

Most Somalis are muslims, the majority belonging to the Sunni branch of islam and the Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence, although some are adherents of the Shia muslim denomination. Sufism, the mystical dimension of islam, is also well-established, with many local jama'a (zawiya) or congregations of the various tariiqa or Sufi orders. The constitution of Somalia likewise defines islam as the state religion of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and Islamic sharia as the basic source for national legislation. It also stipulates that no law that is inconsistent with the basic tenets of Shari'a can be enacted.

Administrative divisions

Somalia is officially divided into eighteen regions (gobollada, singular gobol), which in turn are subdivided into districts. The regions are:

1 Jubbada Hoose 2 Jubbada Dhexe 3 Gedo 4 Bay 5 Bakool 6 Shabeellaha Hoose 7 Banaadir 8 Shabeellaha Dhexe 9 Hiiraan

See Other Map

10 Galguduud 11 Mudug 12 Nugaal 13 Bari 14 Sool 15 Sanaag 16 Togdheer 17 Woqooyi Galbeed 18 Awdal

See Also

Site Search

News

Random Articals

Weather

Join Our Newsletter

Send This Page to Friend

To Email this page to a friend

Online Contact

Go back to the previous page

Report
Missing / Incorrect
Information